Decision on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council - Doc. Assembly/AU/12(XXXIII)

DECISION ON THE REFORM OF THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
Doc. Assembly/AU/12(XXXIII)

The Assembly,

1. ADOPTS the Twenty First Report of the Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council, by His Excellency Mr. Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone;

2. RECALLS Decisions Assembly/AU/Dec.564(XXIV), Assembly/AU/Dec.573(XXIII), Ext/Assembly/AU/Dec.1(IV), Assembly/AU/Decl.2(V), Assembly/AU/Dec.617(XXVII), Assembly/AU/Dec.724(XXXII);

3. TAKES NOTE of the High-Level meetings of the Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government, including the Eighth Ministerial Meeting held in Dakar, Senegal in January 2020 and the High-Level Outreach with the P-5 and other stakeholders on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council;

4. ACKNOWLEDGES WITH APPRECIATION the progress made by the Committee of Ten in promoting and canvassing support for the Common African Position as espoused in the Ezulwini Consensus and the 2005 Sirte Declaration on the United Nations Security Council Reform;

5. WELCOMES in that regard, the growing acceptance of the legitimacy of the Common African Position on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council;

6. ENCOURAGES the Committee to continue holding its high-level and outreach meetings with a view to further intensify efforts aimed at promoting and canvassing the Common African Position on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council;

7. REAFFIRMS that the Common African Position espoused in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, shall continue to serve as the only viable option that reflects Africa’s legitimate right and aspiration to rectify, inter alia, the historical injustice endured by the Continent; as the only viable option for Africa’s full representation at the UN Security Council;

8. REITERATES that full representation of Africa in the United Nations Security Council means:

1. Not less than two (02) Permanent seats with all the prerogatives and privileges of permanent membership including the right of veto;

2. Five (05) Non-permanent seats;

3. That the African Union reserves the right to select its representatives for election to the UN Security Council to act in its name and on its behalf;

9. ALSO REITERATES that even though Africa is opposed, in principle, to the veto, it is of the view that so long as it exists, and as a matter of common justice, it should be made available to all Permanent Members of the UN Security Council;

10. FURTHER REITERATES the firm commitment to preserve Africa’s unity and solidarity on all aspects of the United Nations Security Council reform process, including participation within and outside the intergovernmental negotiations, and to continue to speak cohesively with one voice in unity of purpose on all aspects of the reform process;

11. In that regard, REITERATES that African Union Member States in New York with dual membership, should withdraw such membership from all other Interest Groups, in order to further consolidate the Common African Position as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration;

12. REQUESTS:

1. The Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government to continue to intensify

its engagement at the highest level with other Interest and Regional Groups and key stakeholders, including the Permanent Five Members of the UN Security Council, with a view to building on progress made in advancing and canvassing the Common African Position contained in the Ezulwini consensus and Sirte Declaration on the Reform of United Nations Security Council;

2. All African Union Member States, to reflect in their respective National

statements at the opening of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2020, a concise common language to promote and canvass the Common African Position, and to reiterate the call for a comprehensive Reform of the United Nations Security Council;

3. African Union Member States to include the issue of the United Nations Security

Council Reform among their foreign policy priorities in their engagements with non-African partners, in particular, the need to correct without further delay, the historical injustice that the African continent continues to endure;

13. DIRECTS the Commission to make provision in the Commission’s proposed budget for the purpose of funding and facilitating the activities of the Committee of Ten on UN Reforms;

14. DECIDES that the Committee of Ten remains seized of its mandate until Africa achieves its objectives on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council, and REQUESTS the Committee to present a Report to the 34th Ordinary Session of the Assembly.